2021 FIA Formula One World Championship
The 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for Formula One cars and the 72th running of the Formula One World Championship. Formula One is recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. Drivers and teams competed in twenty-two Grands Prix for the World Drivers' and World Constructors' championship titles. Charles Leclerc was the world champion, the runner-up was his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, in third place was the british Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari after 13 years returns to win a championship of builders, second comes to Red Bull and in third place is to McLaren. The season was one of many changes, the engines would again be the aspirated V8, but different from 2006 to 2013, the engines would be hybrids, since Liberty Media wanted to save money and not pollute. this season would mark the return of the Michelin tire brand that would return after 15 years, resuming the tire war. Aerodynamic hangers would be banned again, leaving cars looking "clean". The schedule would have the same stages of 2020 with some changes, now Bahrain would be responsible for opening the season on March 7, and after 8 years Brazil would close again a Formula 1 season, with the race being held on November 28 . The 2021 season marked the return of BMW that became McLaren's official partner. The teams Audi and Russian Time, coming from F2, would make their debut in the category. And Honda returns to Formula 1 after 13 years in the purchase of Toro Rosso. Teams and Drivers Teams Changes McLaren closes Renault's 3-year partnership, and changes its engine supplier, marking the return of BMW in the category. Williams has changed the engine supplier, and is now Renault's partner. Renault partners with Volvo, which brings back the paint of the early 2000s, new teams enter Formula 1, Honda, which is the result of the purchase of Toro Rosso by the Japanese automaker. The Audi that debuts in 2021 in the category. And the team coming from Formula 2, the Russian Time. Drivers Changes In August of 2020 McLaren announces the hiring of Lewis Hamilton, hepta-world champion, who was hired with the money invested from BMW. Kimi Raikkonen has announced his retirement and in his place will enter the Italian Formula 2 champion, Antonio Fuoco. After the departure of Lewis Hamilton, who took his place was German Pascal Wehrelin. Sérgio Perez leaves Racing Point and signs a 3 year contract with Honda, who enters in its place is the young George Russell, coming from Williams. The team of Frank Willams contracts the Spaniard Carlos Sainz who was in McLaren. Daniil Kvyat departs from Toro Rosso and embarks on the Russian Time project with compatriot Artem Markelov making his Formula 1 debut year. Audi hires Michael Schumacher's son Mick and French Romain Grosjean of Haas. The United States team hired the grandson of Emerson Fittipaldi, Pietro and marks the return of Brazilian drivers in F1 (The Last would be Felipe Massa in 2017). Mid-Season changes Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has been injured in a motorcycle accident and can not compete for the UK Grand Prix. Who substituted it was the Swiss Sebastien Buemi, who returns the category after 10 years. After the poor results, Daniil Kyviat would be fired in Hungary, entering in his place the Swedish Marcus Ericsson. Calendar The following twenty-two Grands Prix were run as part of the 2021 World Championship: Calendar Changes The Bahrain Grand Prix reopens a season after 11 years (the last time it happened was in 2010). The Brazilian Grand Prix will close the season after 8 years, in addition there were changes in the middle of the season. In 2020 the sequence of the European races of June / July was: France, England and Austria. Already in 2021 changed being: Austria, France and England. The Nurburgring circuit replaces Hockeinheim at the German Grand Prix, the circuit returns to the calendar after 8 years. Changes in Regulation The Concord pact would be signed and renewed until 31 December 2029. The changes in the regulation aim to give more competitiveness, in addition the new Pact allowed more than one race in the same country, aiming to increase the number of races to 25 per year . The V6 turbo engines, so criticized in recent years have left, giving rise to the aspirated V8. The aerodynamic hangers would be removed to make the cars look "cleaner". Starting in 2021, the cars will look more aggressive, as Liberty wants to draw the younger crowd. The teams will be able to choose 4 sets of tires per race, in case of passing that number the team can be punished. After the return of Michelin the tires had 9 types: Ultra-Soft, Super-Soft, Soft, Medium, Hard, Super-Hard, Ultra-Hard, Intermediate and Rain. After 14 years the tires would again have grooves to ensure greater safety on the track. The weekend changed by having two free and one-and-a-half hour workouts, one Friday and one Saturday. Qualifying would consist of Q1, Q2 and Q3, due to the increase of teams on the grid, 7 pilots would be eliminated per session, being 24 pilots in Q1, 17 pilots in Q2 and 10 pilots in Q3, each session will take 20 minutes. The regulation will allow only 5 motors per pilot, due to the increase of races in the calendar. In the case of reloads the grid will be inverted at the time of the red flag, the last one will leave in the pole position, the penultimate one will drop in the second position and so on. The spouts of the car would be longer to favor aerodynamics, as well as the airfoils. The punishment system for curve cutting would be changed, having tolerance for three light cuts, if overtaking will take 2 seconds in its final time per cut, in average cuts will be added 10 seconds and serious cuts will be added 15 seconds. If the rider exceeds 30 seconds in the final time of the race he will be disqualified. Season Summary After 11 years, formula 1 was re-opened for the Grand Prix of Bahrain, the stage would be held on March 7, the race would be chaotic with 2 recharges, and 12 cars that completed the race, with Charles Leclerc winning the race (for the first time a Monegasque wins in Formula 1) was followed by Mercedes duo Esteban Ocon and Pascal Wehrlein. In Australia McLaren would be dominant, returning to the podium after 7 years and winning after a 9 year hiatus, Lewis Hamilton would be the big winner, already Lando Norris would arrive in second and Leclerc would close the podium. Two weeks later would happen the Chinese Grand Prix , with another Lewis Hamilton win with Verstappen second and Gasly third position (who would return to the podium after 15 races), the riders would land in Vietnam after two weeks, the race would be bad for Ferrari as both drivers would have problems in his car, Verstappen would be the big winner, Hamilton would reach second and win the championship lead and Ocon finishes the podium. In Azerbaijan, Ferrari's setback would continue and their two drivers would leave with suspension problems, Hamilton would not make a good start, giving the race to Pierre Gasly, who would win his first win in the category, and would put France on top of the podium after 25 Verstappen would finish second and Norris third. The Spanish stage would mark the resumption of Ferrari, who had lost the lead of the drivers' championship to McLaren, German Sebastian Vettel would be the winner of the race, second comes Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc finishes in third position. The Monaco Grand Prix would be marked by many upset, McLaren departures and the accident that would almost take Leclerc out of the race, when he tried to overtake Daniil Kyviat, who was laggard, the race would give another victory to Vettel, in second place would be Ocon and in third Verstappen. In Canada Leclerc would make an excellent race, guaranteeing the victory and the fastest lap, staying alive in the fight against Hamilton, in second place would come Verstappen and third Vettel. After two weeks, the Austrian Grand Prix would mark the return of European races in the season. Leclerc would be on pole but would lose positions to his direct rivals like Hamilton and Vettel, who would win the race, and would be the leader of the drivers' championship. The stage of France would mark the change of Leclerc winning his third race of the season, behind him would come Vettel and Gasly closing the podium. In the United Kingdom, Leclerc would make the first hat-trick of the season (securing Pole, Fastest Lap and Victory) in the podium would be the pair of McLaren, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, storming the championship. F1 would return to the Nurburgring after 8 years, who would take the best would be the Mercedes with the first victory of Esteban Ocon, was followed by Pascal Wehrlein and Australian Daniel Ricciardo. Then they disembark in Hungary to carry out the step before the championship break, Leclerc's victory would be back in the lead in the championship, Verstappen and Gasly close the podium. The Belgian Grand Prix would resume the championship and Leclerc will make a good race and win again, behind him are Vettel securing the second position, especially the podium of George Russelll, who makes the first podium in F1 and Racing Point . Vettel and Verstappen had problems in qualifying in Italy, but they did a great race in the Ferrari home guaranteeing a double, this time the winner would be Vettel, and the return of Hamilton to the podiums this season, finishing in 3rd Placement. In Singapore, the German of Ferrari would make a good race and guaranteed the victory touching on teammate Leclerc, who finishes third, Gasly is the second place. In Russia Leclerc would have problems with his car in the beginning of the test and would leave, giving the victory to Vettel that would lead after that step, second comes Hamilton and third Norris. In Japan, the opposite would happen with Vettel leaving and Leclerc winning and regaining the lead, second comes Verstappen and third position, Pierre Gasly. In Mexico Ferrari achieved the title of constructors after a 14 year hiatus, with Vettel's victory, Leclerc would be in second position and Hamilton in third. In the United States, Leclerc comes close to the title after another victory, in second place comes Hamilton and third Hulkenberg, having his first podium in F1. In Abu-Dhabi Leclerc he plays his car in Vettel in an attempt to overtake the German, causing them both to leave the race, leaving the race for Interlagos, the big winner would be Lewis Hamilton, second comes Lando Norris and third Esteban Ocon. On 28 November, the last race of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix, would be held, two drivers would come with Leclerc title chanches and Vettel teammate who needed some combinations to win the race, the German leads by 45 laps, but in a wheel-to-wheel dispute with Leclerc who takes the best is Monegasque, after a storm falls on the track, we would have an unexpected winner, Pascal Wehrlein who would make the second Mercedes's victory in the Year, behind him would Leclerc, who would be world champion and Norris in third place. Results and standings Grands Prix Scoring System Points are awarded to the top ten classified drivers in every race, using the following system: In order for full points to be awarded, the race winner must complete at least 75% of the scheduled race distance. Half points are awarded if the race winner completes less than 75% of the race distance provided that at least two laps are completed. In the event of a tie at the conclusion of the championship, a count-back system is used as a tie-breaker, with a driver's/constructor's best result used to decide the standings. World Drivers' Championship Standings Constructor Championship Category:Sports Category:Racing